Air handling systems such as furnaces or other heating, ventilating or air conditioning systems typically have a drain pan underneath at least portions of the air handling mechanism to catch collected condensation. With air conditioners, the condensation produced in a twenty-four hour period can be more than the drain pan can hold. Therefore, the drain pan can be mounted at a slant and connected to a pipe or hose to carry the condensated water to a drain connected to a structure's sewage system or to a location outside the structure.
Sometimes, the removal of the condensated water requires pumping the water out of the drain pan. Conventionally, a drain pan system includes a sensor, called a water sensor, that is placed in the drain pan and measures the level of the water therein. When the water level reaches a predetermined height, the water sensor generates a signal and sends it to a water sensor switching circuit to activate the pump. When enough water is removed from the drain pan for the water sensor to stop sending the signal, the water sensor switch deactivates the pump. In this manner, the pump is only activated when necessary to pump water out of the drain pan, thereby prolonging the life of the pump, while preventing water from overflowing the sides of the drain pan.
Conventional float sensors require correct adjustment and/or orientation for proper operation. If the float sensor is not correctly oriented, the pump may not be activated before the water overflows the sides of the drain pan. This generally leads to damage to the area around the drain pan which in a typical home could lead to floor, wall or ceiling damage. In addition, typical false signaling causes conventional water sensor switches to activate the pump when insufficient water is present, thereby damaging the pump.
Thus, what is needed is a water sensor for a drain pan water system which does not require undue effort for accurate orientation. In addition, what is needed is a water sensor switch with reduced sensitivity to false signaling. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the disclosure.